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The Dressmaker (2015 film)

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article The Dressmaker (2015 film), available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 202518 sources
The Dressmaker
Company typeFilm
IndustryMotion picture
Founded2015
FounderJocelyn Moorhouse (director and co-writer)
Headquarters
Australia / United States
ProductsFilm adaptation of Rosalie Ham's 2000 novel

The Dressmaker is a 2015 comedy drama motion picture co-written and directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, adapted from the 2000 novel authored by Rosalie Ham. The film features Kate Winslet portraying Myrtle "Tilly" Dunnage, a skilled dressmaker who comes back to a remote Australian community to look after her mentally disturbed mother. The narrative delves into themes of vengeance and artistic expression, with Moorhouse describing it as "Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven reimagined with a sewing machine." This production was a joint financial venture between Australia and the United States.

The concept originated in 2000 but gained momentum after producer Sue Maslin secured the rights and appointed Moorhouse to both direct and write the screenplay. Filming took place in Melbourne and various locations throughout Victoria towards the end of 2014. The movie had its world premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on 14 September, followed by its theatrical release on 29 October 2015 in Australia and New Zealand. It debuted at number one in both markets, ultimately becoming the second top-grossing Australian film of that year and ranking sixteenth in the all-time Australian box office list.

Although critics offered mixed opinions—applauding Winslet’s portrayal while noting inconsistencies in tone—The Dressmaker dominated the 5th AACTA Awards with thirteen nominations, including categories such as Best Film, Best Direction, Best Production Design, Best Original Music Score, Best Sound, Best Editing, and Best Cinematography. It secured wins for Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Costume Design, and the People's Choice Award for Favourite Australian Film.

Plot

Set in 1926 within the fictional rural town of Dungatar, Victoria, young Myrtle Dunnage at age ten is held responsible for the death of her schoolmate Stewart Pettyman. A compassionate officer, Sergeant Horatio Farrat, arranges for her removal from town. Fast forward twenty-five years: Myrtle, now known professionally as "Tilly" and trained as a couturier, returns to Dungatar. She has no memory of the circumstances surrounding Stewart's demise, while her mentally ill mother Molly lives in neglect and fails to recognize her.

During the local football final, Tilly’s eye-catching red couture gown distracts the players, aiding Dungatar’s victory. In exchange for information about that day, she agrees to craft a dress for Gertrude Pratt ahead of the footballers' dance. Gertrude admits she revealed Tilly’s hiding place to Stewart.

At the dance event, Gertrude attracts William Beaumont’s interest; they become engaged soon after. Impressed by Tilly’s work, other townswomen commission elaborate dresses from her while Teddy McSwiney begins courting her.

Sergeant Farrat admits that Stewart’s father Evan—who serves as a town councillor—blackmailed him over his secret cross-dressing habit. A shared appreciation for designer fashion brings Tilly and Farrat closer. Evan enlists the inept Una Pleasance to establish a competing dressmaking business; however, when Gertrude selects Tilly to design her wedding gown, customers return to Tilly’s atelier.

After receiving a feather boa as a bribe, Farrat allows Tilly to read a witness statement from Beulah Harridiene, her former teacher who confesses she was absent during Stewart’s death. At Gertrude’s wedding reception, Farrat remains convinced that Tilly was responsible for Stewart’s death and reveals that Evan is actually Tilly’s father. Disturbed, Tilly flees; Teddy follows after calming his developmentally challenged brother Barney who hysterically claims that Tilly "moved" during Stewart’s fatal incident.

At the schoolhouse, Teddy assists Tilly in recalling that Stewart threatened to kill her mother unless she stood against a wall. Stewart charged headfirst but broke his neck when Tilly stepped aside. Barney witnessed this but feared no one would believe him.

Tilly and Teddy make plans for marriage after sharing an intimate night in his caravan. Perched atop the silo, Teddy disproves belief in Tilly’s curse by jumping inside but tragically suffocates after becoming trapped in sorghum grain.

Molly informs townsfolk that Teddy died demonstrating that love triumphs over hatred. She consoles grieving Tilly and reveals that Evan sent Tilly away to inflict pain on Molly before succumbing to a fatal stroke.

While Tilly and Farrat conduct a wake, Beulah snoops around; intoxicated, Tilly accidentally injures Beulah by hurling a record player off the veranda. Farrat arranges for Beulah’s commitment to a Melbourne mental institution.

The cruel chemist Percival Almanac drowns in his pond while his wife Irma is under the influence of Molly’s potent hash brownies. Farrat accepts responsibility for both the hashish and his cross-dressing activities and is subsequently arrested.

Tilly exposes Evan’s true nature to his wife Marigold who confronts him. When faced with institutionalization threats herself, she severs Evan’s Achilles tendons and leaves him to bleed out. Meanwhile, at a Winyerp eisteddfod competition, townsfolk discover that Tilly designed their Mikado costumes; their Macbeth performance suffers due to Evan and Marigold’s absence.

Proclaiming herself free from any curse, Tilly sets fire to her home and rolls a paraffin-soaked bolt of red fabric into town. As residents return to find Dungatar engulfed in flames and destruction, Tilly departs by train heading for Paris via Melbourne.

Cast


Development

Following the novel's release, author Rosalie Ham sold the film rights in the mid-2000s and received several offers soon after. Although she initially chose a dedicated producer and even drafted a screenplay, the project did not progress. It was not until 2009 that producer Sue Maslin re-established contact with Ham and secured the rights. Maslin then enlisted director and screenwriter Jocelyn Moorhouse, convincing her to return to Australia from Los Angeles to helm the film. Moorhouse was drawn to the narrative’s combination of vengeance, romance, and artistry, elements reminiscent of her previous work on Proof.

The production was financed by Screen Australia, Film Victoria, Ingenious Media, White Hot Productions, Fulcrum Media Finance, Motion Picture Lightning, and Soundfirm. Notably, Moorhouse’s spouse, director P. J. Hogan, contributed as script editor during development.

Casting

In August 2013, both Kate Winslet and Judy Davis were confirmed to portray Myrtle "Tilly" Dunnage and Molly Dunnage respectively. Moorhouse had envisioned them for these parts from early on but acknowledged that securing their participation was difficult due to Winslet’s selective approach and Davis’s longstanding interest in collaborating.[1]

By May 2014, Liam Hemsworth joined the cast as Teddy McSwiney, alongside Isla Fisher cast as Gertrude Pratt and Elizabeth Debicki as Una. Moorhouse commended their suitability for their respective roles, emphasizing Winslet’s emotional range, Davis’s sharpness, and Hemsworth’s charm.[2] Later that year in October, Hugo Weaving was added to portray Sergeant Farrat, a police officer with a secret cross-dressing identity.[3]

Following Debicki’s departure to star in The Kettering Incident, she was replaced by Sacha Horler. Fisher also exited due to pregnancy and was succeeded by Sarah Snook. The ensemble was further strengthened with appearances from Caroline Goodall, Shane Bourne, Kerry Fox, Rebecca Gibney, Shane Jacobson, Alison Whyte, and Genevieve Lemon.[4]

Ham emphasized casting extras from her hometown of Jerilderie, New South Wales, ensuring authentic local involvement. Over one hundred residents participated as extras during filming in the Wimmera, with many recruited from Wimmera's Laharum Football Netball Club specifically for a football sequence.[5] Additionally, singer Lanie Lane, who contributed to the soundtrack, appeared in an extra role. Ham herself made a brief cameo appearance.[6]

Pre-production

Originally planned for early 2014, production was postponed until late 2014 due to Winslet's pregnancy. Preparations commenced in September 2014, beginning with the creation of the fictional town Dungatar on 16 September at the Mount Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre, located roughly an hour from Melbourne. After thorough exploration of various small towns throughout regional Victoria, Maslin, Ham, and Moorhouse selected the wheat-farming region of Victoria’s Wimmera-Mallee. Maslin highlighted that the final site near the You Yangs offered distinctive features such as granite formations and dead trees that complemented the film’s visual style.

The costume designer, Emmy-nominated Marion Boyce, was brought on board to emphasize the film’s focus on garment creation. Sophie Theallet designed two high-fashion gowns specifically for Winslet, while Margot Wilson was responsible for outfitting Tilly Dunnage. Additional vintage clothing and accessories were procured from Retropolitan in West Annapolis, Maryland.

To enhance authenticity, Winslet acquired a Singer 201K2 sewing machine herself and learned to sew, utilizing her own machine throughout filming.

Filming

Principal photography started on 17 October 2014 at Docklands Studios Melbourne and concluded on 13 December 2014.[7] Filming also took place across multiple Victorian locations including Mount Rothwell, Little River, Horsham, and the Wimmera area.[8]

Interior shots were captured at Docklands Studios where sets such as a fabricated silo and sections of Dungatar town—including Molly Dunnage's residence—were constructed.[9] On 20 October, Winslet and Davis filmed scenes at Docklands. The Muckleford railway station was transformed into Dungatar’s station for filming on 5 November.[10] Mid-November scenes were shot near the You Yangs at Mount Rothwell, featuring an emu provided by the Mount Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre.[11]

Due to scheduling conflicts, Liam Hemsworth joined the production in late November. On 2 December, he and Gyton Grantley filmed scenes at Little River.[12] Early December saw filming in Melbourne suburbs Yarraville and Williamstown, with locations including Ballarat Street, the Sun Theatre, Sun Bookshop, and a hall used as the fictional Dungatar.[13]

In December, Maslin led a team of 120 to the Wimmera region for continued shooting.[14] Locations utilized included Sailors’ Home Hall at Murra Warra, grain silos and cemetery at Jung, Laharum Homestead, Murtoa Hall, Longerenong Homestead (for wedding reception scenes), and Jung Recreation Reserve (for football match sequences).[15] Football scenes featuring Winslet, Hemsworth, and Davis were filmed on 10 December.[16] Murtoa doubled as the fictional town Winyerp for certain scenes.[17] The production wrapped with wedding reception footage shot at Longerenong Homestead.[18]

Post-production

The post-production phase commenced in mid-December 2014 at Soundfirm in Melbourne, involving director Moorhouse, editor Jill Bilcock, and composer David Hirschfelder. This stage wrapped up by 30 June 2015. During post-production, visual effects were integrated into the greenscreen footage captured during filming.

Music

The film's score was crafted by David Hirschfelder, marking his inaugural collaboration with Moorhouse and his second partnership with Maslin, following their previous work on the 2006 drama Irresistible. The soundtrack, which blends electronic elements with Spaghetti Western motifs, was digitally released on 15 November 2015 under Hirschfelder's own label. Additionally, it features tracks by Australian singer-songwriter Lanie Lane.

Marketing and promotion

On 17 December 2014, the first official image showcasing Kate Winslet from the film was unveiled. The initial trailer, starring Winslet alongside Liam Hemsworth, debuted on 13 July 2015.

In anticipation of the film’s release, Penguin Books issued a tie-in edition of The Dressmaker novel with a refreshed cover design on 11 August 2015.

Releases

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 14 September 2015. Subsequently, it was screened at the Busan International Film Festival on 2 October and at the Adelaide Film Festival on 16 October. At the Mill Valley Film Festival on 17 October, it received the Audience Favourite Silver Award. Its Australian premiere took place in Melbourne on 18 October.

Universal Studios secured distribution rights for both international markets and Australia/New Zealand. Initially slated for a 1 October 2015 release, the date was later postponed to 29 October. In Argentina, Energía Entusiasta handled the release on 19 November 2015. The UK theatrical launch occurred on 20 November 2015. For the United States market, Amazon Studios acquired distribution rights and facilitated a limited release starting on 23 September 2016 in partnership with Broad Green Pictures.

Home media

The film became available on DVD and Blu-ray in Australia on 22 February 2016 and subsequently in the UK on 14 March 2016.

Box office

By November 2016, The Dressmaker had accumulated over US$24.11 million (AUS$32.14 million) globally against a production budget of US$11.9 million (AUS$17 million).

It debuted at number one at the Australian box office, generating US$697,791 (AUS $976,000) on its opening day. Released across 384 cinemas, it achieved an average of US$5,863 (AUS $8,200) per venue and grossed US$2.56 million (AUS $3.58 million) during its opening weekend domestically. In New Zealand, it also launched at number one with earnings exceeding US$220,000 (NZ $334,818) over three days. The film maintained its top position in its second week with US$5.8 million (AUS $8.23 million) in Australia and US$510,000 (NZ $333,265) in New Zealand.

Surpassing Russell Crowe’s The Water Diviner (2014), it recorded the largest opening for an Australian film and ranked as the second highest-grossing Australian movie of 2015 after Mad Max: Fury Road. It holds eleventh place among all-time Australian box office successes.

Critical response

The film garnered a range of critical responses. By January 2021, it maintained a 58% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, derived from 140 reviews, with an average rating of 5.83 out of 10. The consensus on the site reads, "The Dressmaker features a compelling lead performance by Kate Winslet alongside an intriguing mix of narrative eccentricities—elements that may or may not resonate comfortably with all viewers." On Metacritic, the movie holds a score of 47 out of 100 based on 27 critic reviews, signifying "mixed or average" reception.

Justin Chang from Variety commended the film, particularly spotlighting the work of Winslet and Davis: "Winslet... commands attention from the instant she appears," while Davis delivers "a delightfully sharp-tongued, dementia-affected, and alcohol-dependent matriarch who provides ample amusement." Sarah Ward of Screen International praised the seamless integration of humor, drama, and revenge, along with lauding Marion Boyce and Margot Wilson for their exceptional costume design. Richard Ouzounian from The Star gave a perfect four-star rating, describing it as "a display of true bravura style," applauding Winslet as "outstanding" and Davis as "exquisite." Jon Frosch from The Hollywood Reporter labeled the film a "slick, quirky guilty pleasure," acknowledging its imperfections.

On the other hand, Kevin Jagernauth of Indiewire pointed out the film’s uneven tonal shifts but recognized the strong performances by the cast, highlighting Winslet’s assured lead role and Davis’s memorable eccentric character. Gregory Ellwood from HitFix expressed difficulty in reconciling the over-the-top comedic elements with the serious dramatic moments. Benjamin Lee of The Guardian awarded it two stars, calling it a "genre-jumping, tonally inconsistent whirlwind." Conversely, Jake Wilson from The Sydney Morning Herald interpreted the film’s oscillation between comedy and melodrama as deliberate and effective, dubbing it "both entertaining and startling" and suggesting it serves as a feminist counterpart to Wake in Fright.

Accolades

The movie received thirteen AACTA Awards nominations and secured five wins: Best Lead Actress for Winslet, Best Supporting Actress for Davis, Best Supporting Actor for Weaving, Best Costume Design, and the People's Choice Award for Favourite Australian Film. Additionally, Davis earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the AACTA International Awards.

In The Hollywood Reporter's annual critic selections, Davis's portrayal was included among "the 25 Best Film Performances of 2016." The production was also shortlisted by the Academy Awards in the category of Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

External links

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  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named round
  9. ↑ Facebook sources
  10. ↑ Facebook source
  11. ↑ Facebook source
  12. ↑ citation needed
  13. ↑ Various sources
  14. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named weekly
  15. ↑ Multiple sources
  16. ↑ US Magazine
  17. ↑ Murtoa.net
  18. ↑ The Weekly Advertiser

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